Abe’s visit not intended for U.S.-Iran mediation: Suga

June 13, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Iran is not intended to mediate tensions between Washington and Tehran, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.

Suga's comments, made at a press conference, are apparently aimed at playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough as producing results as a mediator between the United States and Iran is not easy.

Abe and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "had very significant discussions," Suga said, referring to the two leaders' meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, told a party meeting that Abe made one step forward as the two countries' leaders confirmed the need to keep the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement in place. Jiji Press